Shannon Schambeau Patterson Mrs. Texas America 2010

Photo Shoot for Mrs. Texas Program Cover

2011-01-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

After only a few hours of sleep, I was sitting in a chair prepping for my photo shoot for the cover of the Mrs. Texas program book. Tamara worked her magic on my make-up, Jo Ann did an incredible job on my hair and Larry captured some great shots with his camera. Before I knew it, John and I were back on the road heading home. Megan and Susana were able to enjoy the rest of the day taking their official photos as new state titleholders. I love that Tracy does this for her new queens. There could not be a better time to take pictures than the day after you win. You are floating on a high that can keep you smiling hours upon hours. It is a day they will not forget!

Mrs. OK and Mrs. KS

2011-01-22T23:53:00.000-08:00

We drove a few hours up to Guthrie, OK today. John and I were broth judging Mrs. OK and Mrs. KS. We arrived in time for the private interviews with the contestants. These ladies are full of passion and energy. They were all really good on stage. It was hard to only select one lady for each crown. The new Mrs. OK is Megan Murray and the new Mrs. KS is Susana Kingsley. They are both beautiful ladies inside and out. I can’t wait to see how they do at Mrs. America.

It was bitter-sweet to watch Samantha and Alyssa give up their crowns. We have shared a wonderful year together and have many great memories. I left lucky to have them as roommates at Mrs. America. We were the perfect little trio!

After the pageant and after-party, we crashed Tracy’s hotel room. This group always has entertaining stories to share. It was a nice break from the hard week John and I had. It was so nice to sit around and laugh with everyone. Laughter is good for the soul!!

Alyssa and Tucker

2011-01-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

We had a tragic loss in John’s family this past Sunday. John’s first cousin, Alyssa, and her 10 month old baby, Tucker, were killed by a drunk driver on her way to work in the morning. We drove down yesterday morning for the visitation. The funeral was one of the saddest I have ever attended. It is hard to understand how something this horrific can happen to two beautiful and innocent people. We were just sick to our stomachs driving back to McKinney. Alyssa left behind a husband and two young boys who will only have a memory of their mother and baby brother. I don’t know how a family moves on from this. It is definitely a situation that reminds you to take nothing and no one for granted.

Kiwanis Module Build

2011-01-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight was my first module ramp build for Kiwanis. All of the Kiwanis clubs in the DFW area share one warehouse to build the modules for our ramp builds in our area. I joined five other members after work today to help put the ramps frames together. It has been extremely cold, so I had to break out my ski jacket to make sure I stayed warm. We were people on a mission. We knocked out our assigned modules in less than 2 hours. We celebrated by grabbing some dinner and sharing stories.

McKinney North's Key Club

2011-01-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

After the Kiwanis meeting today, I joined one of our members at McKinney North High School for their Key Club meeting. It has been a long time since I have been in a high school. The students keep looking younger and younger. I observed the meeting and then spent some time after the meeting with the president and vice-president. They invited me to come back and speak at one of their future meetings. I am excited to be able to speak to all of the members next month.

Last Few Mock Interviews

2011-01-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

I spent the last two evenings on the phone helping Stephanie, Miss DC, with her last mock interviews before she leaves for Miss America. It is such a stressful time for her. I have not had another event that put as much stress and anxiety in my life as Miss America did. I always tell the girls once you make it through Miss America, you can make it through anything! I am excited for all of the girls. I really hope they are able to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Christmas in Florida

2010-12-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

We drove back to McKinney on the 26th and then caught a flight to Florida to spend the rest of the holiday with my family. Mom loves having everyone together and she even cooked another traditional dinner especially for John and me. My oldest brother Sam and his wife Farrah have been building a house. We went down and checked it out. The house is close to being down, so we were really able to get a feel of what the finished product is going to look like. They have put a lot of special details into the house. I am very excited for them!!

We were also able to see some of my cousins before we left town. My mom’s side of the family used to have a very traditional sit down dinner every Christmas at my grandparent’s house. It would range from 30 to over 40 people. My mom is one of seven. All of her brothers and sister would attend every year with their families. It was an organized chaos, but we loved the opportunity to see everyone. It has been a hard tradition to let go of, so I still try and see some of my cousins when we are home.

Christmas in Orange

2010-12-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

We spent the first part of Christmas in Orange with John’s family. John’s mom knew how much I missed my traditional dinners, so she bought me a little baby turkey to cook. I called my brother Matt who has become quite the chef. He walked me through the rub down and how to cook it. 6 hours later it turned out to be the best turkey I have ever eaten!!! It might be first timers luck, but I really hope we can repeat it.

John’s dad had an extremely special surprise for me. They have a baseball mosaic on their bulk head by the water with all of their handprints surrounding it. After talking about it for 3 years, we were finally adding my handprint next to John’s. It was a very symbolic and meant a lot to John and me.

Once the handprint was set in cement, we took some family pictures on the steps. We were in need of a current family picture. With all of us together, it didn’t take long before we were goofing around. John’s dad was still able to capture some really great shots.

Kiwanis Christmas Party

2010-12-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

John and I attended the Kiwanis Christmas party tonight. It helped us to get more in the Christmas spirit. The gift exchange was hysterical. I love to see what gifts people fight over. The cheese balls were a major hit, but immediately had one owner when they started getting eaten mouth first!! The holidays always seem to bring out the kid in all of us.

Miss DC Weekend

2010-12-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend is dedicated to helping Stephanie Williams, Miss District of Columbia, prep for Miss America. Her flight lands in a few hours and she is staying through Monday evening. We are going to work on interview, walking and mental preparation. Stephanie is an extremely intelligent young lady who only has one more year of medical school. We are looking forward to getting to know her better this weekend. There is no experience like walking across the Miss America stage. I want every young lady to have the best experience and wake up the next morning with no regrets.

Bingo Night

2010-12-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

I helped my fellow Kiwanians host Bingo Night at Homestead Nursing Home. I had no idea bingo was so competitive. These residents were not playing around. They were there to win and let us know it. I was thrilled when my lady won a game!!! There was one table of ladies that won over half the games. Next time I am going to try and get a seat at their table!

Serving Lunch at the Samaritan Inn

2010-12-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

Our Keller Williams North Collin County office donated money to host lunch at the Samaritan Inn. It is the largest homeless shelter in Collin County. We heard a spokesperson for the Inn at a local networking meeting a few weeks ago and we decided to find a way to get involved. We were able to raise the money quickly. We also collected gift cards to local stores so the parents staying at the Inn could have the pride of buying their children Christmas gifts. We collected over $400 in gift cards and we are already have a great to start to host another lunch in January/February. Six of us went over to help serve lunch. We were greeted with big smiles and positive attitudes. They were excited about having choices and fresh vegetables for lunch. It broke our hearts, but reminded us how grateful we should be for the luxuries we have in our lives. We left the Samaritan Inn humbled and wanting to do more.

Lane Breaking the Guinness World Record

2010-12-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today we went out to Kenneth Copeland Ministries Airport to watch Lane break the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed on a towed skateboard. They had to do several practice runs to find the smoothest location on the runway. We were all scared to death when Lane had to unhook the harness. Our hearts sank when the board went flying out from under his feet, but luckily he was able to hang on until the car stopped. Lane got back on the board and had his first successful run at 80.5 mph. In order to set the record, Lane needed to complete a successful run in the opposite direction. He sped by at 75.7 mph, which gave him an average of 78.1 mph. He beat the previous 74-mile-per-hour record (2008) held by Danny Way for the MTV show Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.

Lane is the founder of Stalk It Skateboards. Stalk It Skateboards are made with Corn Board, a substance made from corn stover (the remaining leaves and stalks from a corn harvest). We were thrilled at the end of the day that Lane not only walked away uninjured, but we were extremely impressed that the skateboard on had a few scuffs. It definitely shows the pure strength and durability of the board!

Click here to check out the video on YouTube.

Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

I made an appearance at a Breakfast with Santa this morning. A local dance studio was performing Christmas dance numbers. During one of the breaks, I had the opportunity to speak to all the little girls and sign autographs for them. Rose, my of my friend’s daughter, is destined to be a beauty queen. The crown fit her head perfectly!!

Keller Williams Christmas Party

2010-12-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

John, Doug and Lane headed to the panhandle to go pheasant hunting. John and Doug have never been, so I can’t wait to hear about their experience! Our Keller Williams office party was help at one of the new Darling Home models in Tucker Hill. I was greeted at the front door with Christmas carolers and a lively crowd inside. There was tons of food, drinks and even a Grinch dressed up as Santa. It’s nice to be around all my colleagues in a social setting. I love being a part of this office!! They are truly endearing and fun to be around!

Twin Babies

2010-11-30T20:47:00.000-08:00

We took dinner to the Bradley’s tonight. God has blessed them with beautiful twin girls. They are extremely tiny and only weigh 5 pounds. I am amazed by my friends who are able to juggle twins!! While I would love to have twins, the reality of it is a little scary! Congratulations to Jeff and Jenny.

Derozett'e Rodan+Fields Big Business Launch

2010-11-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Orange with John’s family. We came back early so I could help Derozette host her first Rodan+Fields Big Business Launch. The event was great. Derozette has some great prospects for future business partners and clients. I can’t wait to watch her business grow. She is changing her skin and changing lives!!

Newest Member of Kiwanis

2010-11-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

I am elated to say I am one of the newest members of the Kiwanis Club of McKinney!! With all the volunteer work I have done for many of the members, I already feel at home with the group. A few members already started booking events for me to appear at in December. I am truly going to enjoy being a part of this club!!

Brunch with Matt and Becky

2010-11-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

My sweet brother picked us up from our hotel this morning. Matt lives in Atlanta, which is less than an hour away from Cartersville. We went back to his and Becky’s place to spend some time with them. They cooked us a great breakfast with fluffy waffles, an egg casserole and fresh fruit. We hung out and caught up on what was going on in our lives. Matt had to leave to go play in his championship baseball game. He pitched 9 innings and they won the championship!!! Becky and Rocco drove us to the airport. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Dallas. I am so glad we were able to spend the morning with them!!

After Party

2010-11-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

We relaxed and enjoyed ourselves at the after party. It was wonderful to spend the weekend with old friends and to have the opportunity to make new ones. Holly was the life of the party and a blast to spend the weekend with. I loved seeing David again. I might have convinced Tonya to compete for Mrs. GA. I think she would be awesome!! Kristen now knows what it's like to be on the other side of the table. We toasted to a great weekend and many more to come!

Miss GA USA and Miss GA Teen USA

2010-11-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

We finished up two long days of judging with two beautiful winners. Kaylin Reque was selected as Miss Georgia USA and Kristen Robinson was selected as Miss Georgia Teen USA. Kaylin really rocked it and Kristen just glowed on stage. We can’t wait to watch them on stage at nationals. I know Kim Greenwood will have them looking fabulous!!!

Prelims for Miss GA USA

2010-11-19T23:57:00.000-08:00

Prelims were great tonight!! We had the opportunity to see the girls in swimsuit preview and then work the stage in swimsuit and gown. I can’t wait to see how the interviews go tomorrow morning. John started his day with interviews and wrapped it up with swimsuit and evening gown prelims. He gets to sleep in tomorrow like I did today. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to change two girls’ lives. I am excited!!

Flying to judge Miss Georgia USA

2010-11-18T22:45:00.000-08:00

John and I are headed to Cartersville, GA to judge Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA. John has 73 girls in the teen division and I have 79 in the miss. We know it will be a tough to narrow the field down to just 1 winner. I was thrilled to be judging with one of my old friends, David Lang. David and his partner Carry run Regalia’s Magnificent Apparel in Orlando, FL. They helped dress me for all my years competing in FL, Miss DC and Miss America. John was judging with Kristen Motil who he selected as Miss Tennessee 2009. We had a nice dinner with everyone and then headed to bed. We were definitely going to need our rest!!

Penny Lane's Vet Visit

2010-11-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

We had to take our little baby to the vet for her annuals. Penny Lane HATES to be put in a kennel, so we have to keep coming up with creative ways to trick her. The one thing that definitely needs to happen is her claws seriously need to be cut!! They are way too long and we can’t hold her down long enough to cut them. The vet assistant was super sweet with Penny Lane. But Penny Lane was positive that this was the end of the road for her!! Penny Lane went completely limp and would let out a deep meow to let us know she wasn’t happy. The vet’s assistant called her a drama queen and we couldn’t agree with her more. We were in and out of the office in less than 15 minutes, but it wiped John and me out for an hour after. I hope this is not a sign of how our kids are going to act.

Rebecca's Birthday Dinner

2010-11-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

Doug and Cheryl came up to visit us this weekend. This is the first weekend we all had available. Rebecca’s birthday is today and I have an amazing meal planned for everyone. I love cooking for special occasions and have been tweaking the menu all week trying to make it perfect for her. We started with appetizers around 4:30. I had bought some fresh ahi tuna that was perfect for the tuna tartar. The French onion soup was extremely good, but I definitely need some different soup bowls. The Caesar salad was the only thing I didn’t make from scratch and I should have! We had a big break between the first few courses and the main entrée. I was definitely a little over ambitious with my selections. I made wasabi-crusted ahi tuna, macadamia-crusted tilapia with a white chocolate buerre blanc, truffle mac n’ cheese and green bean with toasted almonds. It didn’t seem like that much of a challenge until I was trying to see how many burners and ovens I could use at one time!! All I can say is that it was worth the stress and time. Dinner turned out amazing!!!! The only problem is we didn’t have stomachs big enough to even touch the amount of food on our plates!! We waited an hour before we even attempted to eat the cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries. I had so much fun cooking for everyone. Now, I need another special occasion to celebrate!!

3rd Anniversary

2010-11-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that 3 years ago I was walking down the aisle to marry the man of my dreams. While the road we have traveled down has been a little bumpy and stressful at times, I am glad it has brought us to the place we are now. I am blessed to have a husband who comforts, understands and loves me. We were definitely meant for each other!!

Race Day

2010-11-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

Today is race day!!! We headed for the race track bright and early. You could feel the energy the moment we entered the infield. We walked the garages and watched the different crews stress over every detail of the cars. The opening ceremonies were very moving. They had hundreds of soldiers there to honor and thank them for their service. NASCAR fans may get a little crazy, but they praise our troops and take time to pray!

We stayed in the pits for the start of the race. It was amazing how loud it can get down there. I would be amazed if the pit crews and drivers didn't have serious hearing loss. We watched one of the pit runs. It seemed like the cars had just stopped and they were already driving down the track again with fresh tires and fuel. The rest of the race we watched from on top of the Richardson’s bus. Doug was unstoppable with his camera. I would love to know how many great shots he captured! They have a prime time spot right on turn 4!! We finished the night off with dinner at Cracker Barrel and were home by 10:00. Yes, you have to eat at a southern cookin restaurant after a NASCAR race.

Qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway

2010-11-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the Texas Motor Speedway to watch qualifying for the race this weekend. John’s dad came up to join in on the fun. Lane was able to get us pit passes because he helps with sponsorship for Robert Richardson, Jr. Robert gave us a tour of his trailer so we could see first-hand how they put their garage on 4-wheels for the race season. John was almost too tall for the tour. He had to slump over a little to be able to walk around the trailer.

Doug and Lane were having a field day with their cameras!! They were sweet enough to grab a few quick shots of us with Carl Edwards and Bobby Labonte. We spent the rest of the day watching the cars zoom around the race track trying to get the best spots for the races. We were thrilled to watch Robert qualify!! We ended the day by wishing him and his family the best of luck for the race.

Kiwanis and Allegiance Title Company

2010-11-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a long, but very fun day. I started the day before the sun and drove to a local Champions School of Real Estate. We spoke to students who are working on their real estate about joining our office.

For lunch, I was asked to be the guest speaker for the Kiwanis Club of McK inney. The members were extremely welcoming. I talked about being Mrs. Texas, my pageant experiences, my sweet hubby, education and mission work. We wrapped up the meeting with some Q&A. I received an invitation from many of the members about joining Kiwanis. It was such an honor and I think I will take them up on it.

I spent my evening at Allegiance Title Company in McKinney. They were having a fundraiser for the Samaritan Inn. It is the largest homeless shelter in Collin County. They had tons of fun games for the kids, silent auctions and a raffle. The night was a success by raising over $1,000!!

Mrs. Texas Girls' Lunch

2010-11-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sally Mesa, one of the fabulous ladies I competed with at Mrs. Texas, invited me over to Southlake for a girls' lunch. Dalana and Edrienne, Mrs. Texas 1999, also joined us for lunch. We talked about my Mrs. America experience, all the prep work and the different appearances I had been doing. Sally also wanted to hear about Rodan+Fields, so I had brought some different products and information with me. They loved the new AMP MD roller and the Anti-Age serum. AMP MD is the best spent minute in anti-aging. These are definitely the hottest products on the market right now!! We had a wonderful time and I think it would have gone even longer if I didn’t have to rush back to McKinney for an appointment. We need another girls lunch soon!!

Open House and Especially Needed Annual Fall Carnival

2010-10-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

The Miracle League didn’t need volunteer this morning for their final games, so I had the opportunity to sleep in a little bit.

I hosted an Open House at 3504 Rottino Drive, which is just around the corner from our house. I had some great families that stopped by to check out the house.

I wrapped up the open house and headed home for a quick change. I headed up to the Ballfields at Craig Ranch for the Especially Needed Annual Fall Carnival. Heather Astuto organized the event and it was an amazing success. 150 families attended the event. They participated in games, cake walks, moon walks, trick or treat alley and tons of other things. I signed autographs for almost every kid there. I received lots of hugs and took a ton of photos. It was great way for special needs kids and their families to have a safe and fun place to go.

Dinner with Mrs. MO

2010-10-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

This week really flew by. I can’t believe it is Friday already!! John and I had dinner tonight with Carrie, Mrs. MO, and her husband, George. They were in town for Carrie’s high school reunion in Fort Worth. We met in Los Colinas at the Ranch. If you are looking for great Southern food, this is the place! We enjoyed sharing stories and talking about our adventures around the world. Carrie bubbles with enthusiasm!! I love the way she tells stories and the energy she brings to the conversation. I could have listened to her all night! Carrie is a fabulous person, incredibly smart and absolutely beautiful!! Three hours with her is gone in the blink of an eye. The only thing I was disappointed with is I forgot to take a picture of us until we were all in our cars heading different directions. Hopefully, there will be a next time!

Here is a picture of us together at Mrs. America.

Godsmack Concert

2010-10-22T23:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight John and I went to the Godsmack concert tonight. Heather, Mrs. New Hampshire's, husband is the bass guitar player for the Godsmack. Robbie got us tickets and backstage passes to the concert. Seether and Papa Roach were also part of the show. We loved it when Robbie took the stage!! He was so much fun to watch in his element. They really put on a great show.

After it was over, we headed back stage to hang out with Robbie for a little while. We talked about his beautiful wife and our Mrs. America experience. Robbie is such a nice and warm guy. I hope our paths cross again very soon!!

Senator Florence Shapiro

2010-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Texas Senator Florence Shapiro came to our office today to speak about the issues the Senate will be facing in the next session. I had the honor of introducing her at the meeting. Senator Shapiro is a strong advocate for children and education. You can tell her passion comes from life experiences and being a very value-based individual.

I had the opportunity to speak with her after the meeting. When she found out I was Mrs. Texas, she immediately invited me to be introduced on the Senate floor in January. I think that will be wonderful exposure for the Mrs. Texas Pageant!!!

Get Motivated Business Seminar

2010-10-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

John and I went to Dallas with a huge group from my Keller Williams office for the Get Motivated Business Seminar. They had an incredible panel of speakers including Gen. Colin Powell, Laura Bush, Steve Forbes, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Zig Ziglar, Emmitt Smith and many more. It was an inspiring day and I was glad that John went with me. He signed up for an investment class that I am sure he will get a lot out of. I love when I feel full of life!!

Nebraska Sunday

2010-10-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

This morning the guys headed to the golf course to play a round with ESPN announcer, Sean McDonough. Nicole and I spent the day with her family. We took her daughter, Ava, to Twinkles practice. She is a little cheerleader and is nothing short of adorable.

We grabbed lunch and went home for a Rodan+Fields presentation. We watched some of the clips from the dvd and talked about the business opportunity and products. Nicole is opening a high-end dress store on December 1st and thought this would be a great addition to her business. If you are going to have a great wardrobe, you definitely need to follow it up with incredible skincare! I am thrilled to have Nicole on my team!

We walked down to the golf course to take some pictures with the guys. They were definitely having a fun time. By the time they finished up with golf, it was time to head to the airport. This weekend flew by, but we were thankful for the wonderful weekend we had with Nicole, Mark and their family!!

Texas vs. Nebraska

2010-10-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

Mark and Nicole picked us up from the hotel this morning and we head to straight to Lincoln for the football game. We met up with Nicole’s sister, Renee, and a lot of their other friends at a tailgate party. I have to say that I love Nebraska fans. They are some of the nicest, most hospitable fans across the country. John and I sported Texas shirts and we didn’t hear a single mean comment! Nebraska fans are true class acts. The only hostility we received was a funny photo I took with Jennifer, Mrs. Nebraska 2009, and Nicole acting like they were beating me up.

We went to the stadium for the game. It’s amazing how tightly they squeeze you together in those seats. At half-time, we went back out to the tailgate party. We were having such a great time that we ended up just staying there for the rest of the game. It was amazing how fast the day flew by. We had such a fun time!!!

Nebraska Bound

2010-10-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

John and I flew up to Nebraska to spend the weekend with Nicole, Mrs. Nebraska, for the Texas vs. Nebraska football game. We took the long route up there, but it was well worth it when we saw Nicole. We went to Brix for dinner and some glasses of wine. The wine bar is a blast. You get a little card that you put in a machine and then you can pick from tons of different wines to taste or have a glass of. We meet several of Nicole’s family members and close friends. It was a fun and relaxing night. We need a Brix in McKinney!!

Mike Bowman

2010-10-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

This morning I joined Mike Bowman at his Century 21 office for his weekly staff meeting. Mike is our largest sponsor for the Mrs. Texas Pageant. It is because people like him that women like me have an opportunity to reach out to people across the state of Texas. Ana Nieves-Lowe, a former Mrs. Texas Contestant, set up the event and is the reason why Mike started his sponsorship for the pageant. I was warmly welcomed and given the chance to talk to all the agents. I spoke about my volunteer work and the Mrs. Texas Pageant. It was a fun morning and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet Mike in person.

Stonebridge Ranch Ladies Association

2010-10-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

I attended my first Stonebridge Ranch Ladies Association meeting tonight. We had a Skin Care 101 at Dr. Mandy Warthan’s Dermatology. It was very informative, but I was proud to know a lot of the information from being an independent consultant with Rodan+Fields. I had an opportunity to meet some of the ladies in my area and we all brought food items to help stock their local Food Pantry. Every meeting the ladies bring items to support local organizations. I love ladies with a purpose.

Miracle League and Open House

2010-10-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

I volunteered at the Miracle League of Frisco again this morning. It was another great Saturday morning and I had a blast with the athletes. It is such a blessing to see them in action.

I hosted my first open house this afternoon. It is a gorgeous house available in Tucker Hill. It was a good experience and I am looking forward to many more. If you are looking to buy or sell in the McKinney area, contact me.

Tracy Crist

2010-10-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that Tracy Crist joined my Rodan+Fields team today. She is not only a great friend, she is my director. She runs the Mrs. TX, Mrs. OK, Mrs. KS and just acquired Mrs. VA. It will be a great launching platform for her new business! Please let me know if you want to be a part of the movement!!

Here is a picture of Tracy and her girls at Mrs. America

Meeting Doctor Rodan and Doctor Fields

2010-10-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

We had another full day of Rodan+Fields training today. During our lunch break, we had the opportunity to meet the Doctors. Their skin is incredible and I was able to see it up close and personal!! I am very proud and excited to be a part of their new empire!

Molly and I decided to skip the awards gala and meet up with Virginia (my Miss DC Teen sister) for dinner. A drink a Pat O’Brien’s was a must! It was one of my parents’ favorite places when they lived there right after they got married. I love catching up with Virginia. I miss her and her family so much!!

Rodan+Fields New Patent-Pending Tool

2010-10-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Molly and I made the 5 hour adventure down to New Orleans. We checked into our hotel, grabbed a bite to eat and went straight to the Rodan+Fields Convention. We attended 2 breakout sessions and then went to a general session.

In the general session, the Doctors announced their new patent-pending tool!!! It is the best spent minute in anti-aging. AMP MD is a reusable tool that safely creates precise micro-channels in the uppermost layers of the skin to allow for more effective delivery of the skin-transforming ingredients of ANTI-AGE Night Renewing Serum. If you want to be one of the 1st to get your hands on this tool, visit my website at http://www.spatterson.myrandf.com/ to order immediately!!
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the product. Molly and I fought our way through the crowd and quickly grabbed some of the new Anti-Age Regimen and the AMP MD. We met up with Audrey (Miss AZ 2005 and my fabulous sponsor), Geneva (Audrey’s beautiful mother and her sponsor) and their husbands for a little bite to eat. We sat around telling jokes and having some good laughs. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and business partners! Then we joined our upline, Angie Lentz, for a little group inspiration. Angie is nothing short of fabulous and I love having her as a friend and leader!!

Molly and Rodan+Fields

2010-09-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Rodan+Fields convention in New Orleans. To make the trip a little more fun, Molly (Miss LA 2005) and I decided to drive down together. I drove over to Shreveport tonight. Molly and Corey’s new house is beautiful! We went out for dinner and then hung out at their house catching up with each other.

I am excited about the Rodan+Fields Convention and to see what is going to be unveiled! The Doctors have been working on a product that is 10 years ahead of its time!!

McKinney Kiwanis Angel League

2010-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went out to McKinney Kiwanis Angel League t-ball game. This program is fully funded by Kiwanis and is no cost to the families. Kids with special needs either mentally or physically can partake in the 6 week program. Brain and Heather are the directors of the league. Brain, who works for Allegiance Title Company, asked me to come out and visit with the kids. His beautiful daughter was one of the highlights of the night. She immediately came up to me, introduced herself and asked for an autograph. You would never guess that she is only 5!! All the kids played hard and were absolutely adorable!! I left the fields on cloud nine. Those athletes left big footprints on my heart!

Meeting my Husband 5 Years Ago Today

2010-09-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

John and I met each other 5 years ago today at the Washington Nationals Foundation Gala. Virginia, who was Miss Teen DC at the time, and I were helping with the event. John was there as one of the star players for the team. Virginia and I asked John to take a picture with us and that was the beginning to a very wonderful future. Here is the picture taken just moments after we met.

Keller Williams Recruiting

2010-09-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

I got up extremely early this morning to meet some of my other Keller Williams colleagues. We shadowed two of the other agents who were recruiting at one of the local real estate schools. Jeremy and I will start recruiting at another local real estate school. Keller Williams is the only real estate firm to offer profit sharing. It is one of the many great reasons to work for Keller Williams!

Rainy Day and McKinney Oktoberfest

2010-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

The weather was not our friend this morning. It rained out the Frisco Miracle League games.

It finally cleared up later in the day. I drove back over to the McKinney Oktoberfest to help sell tickets. I immediately jumped behind the table at the booth and started working. The people were coming in waves, so we would be really busy for a little while and then we would have a break. After a couple of hours, the crowd picked up tremendously. When my shift was up, we had such a long line that I stayed until we had more people to help out. Downtown was definitely the place to be tonight.
When I got home, John told me that Rebecca was in town and she was going to the festival. I just missed her by about 15 minutes. She was going to surprise me at the booth. I was sad that I missed her.

McKinney Oktoberfest

2010-09-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

John and I went to the McKinney Oktoberfest tonight. The weather was overcast, but we were hoping it was going to hold out. We made it to the festival at downtown McKinney. John and I walked around the square. I signed autographs for little girls and we talked with all the visitors. We even met some performers from Germany. Unfortunately, the weather started getting worse. We took shelter at a local restaurant hoping the weather would pass by. The rain slowed down enough for us to walk back around the square. We saw some kids who had awesome face painting. I will have to say it was some the best face painting I have ever seen. We finally called it a night and went out for dinner. I hope the weather is better tomorrow.

John's Photo Shoot with JerSean

2010-09-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a long week full of training and meetings. Tonight we had a little break from the norm with John’s photo shoot. We went to the local baseball fields right around the corner from our house. JerSean Golatt was our photographer. We had seen a lot of his work and really loved the modern feel of his work. The Texas sky was the perfect backdrop tonight. JerSean was on his game. He only needed a couple shots of each look to capture the moment. After we wrapped up at the baseball fields, we headed back to the house to get some shots of John’s jersey, cards and other baseball memories. The part I loved most is we had all the pictures in our hands before JerSean left our house!

Breakfast with Mrs. MA and the Plano Balloon Festival

2010-09-19T19:03:00.001-07:00

I met Jamie Leigh Bourque, Mrs. Massachusetts, for breakfast at IHOP. Where else would pageant girls go for brunch after they are done competing? We had such a fun time talking about Mrs. America and the different experiences we had there. I also enjoyed hearing more about her family. I wish we would have had a chance to meet everyone’s husbands and families. We gave each other hugs goodbye hoping to see each other again soon.

In the early evening, I drove over to the Plano Balloon Festival. This was their 31st annual non-profit event. John and I tried to go on Friday, but with him being very under the weather and Mother Nature not cooperating we ended up heading home early. Today was a different story!! It was hot!! I arrived just in time to watch the skydivers jump out of the plane. It just made me want to go skydiving again that much more. Mother Nature decided to visit again with some winds up around 2,000 feet. The best part was they inflated all the balloons and then opened up the fields for us to walk around and see the balloons up close. I absolutely loved every minute of it!!! It was a photographers dream and a huge playground for the kids. I had brought John’s professional camera with me and was able to get some really fun shots. I can’t wait to come back next year!

Miss North Texas Pageant

2010-09-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

I finished with the Frisco Miracle League, ran home to take a shower and then drove to Fort Worth to judge a pageant. Faith (2nd runner-up at Mrs. Texas) and her parents held a local, Miss North Texas, for the Miss Texas America Organization. You know you are a really beauty queen when you can go from being on the ball fields in 90 degree weather to judging a pageant in a cocktail dress. The contestants had phenomenal interviews. Although I was judging the miss division, I was extremely impressed with the talent level of the teens. We crowned Kelly Dillard as Miss North Texas and Tiffany Weeks as Miss Trinity River. I wish these ladies a ton of success at Miss Texas.

Mrs. Massachusetts, Jamie Leigh Bourque, also attended the pageant. She is a former Miss Texas competitor. I loved having a fellow Mrs. Lady there with me. We were both a little tired from the day, so we decided to meet for brunch the following morning!

Frisco Miracle League

2010-09-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

I volunteered for an awesome organization this morning called Frisco Miracle League. There are several of them in the DFW area. This one just happens to be right around the corner from our house. The city built an incredible special needs field in the same complex with all the other fields. The Frisco Miracle League provides sports opportunities for children with special needs. Today was their kickoff for their Fall Baseball season. It was a little warm out there, but it didn’t damper the great time I had being a buddy!!

McKinney is #5 Best Places to Live!

2010-09-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

Money Magazine ranks McKinney as the #5 Best Places to Live. Here is the write up.
Top 100 rank: 5
Population: 125,000

Lots of towns near Dallas have low crime, affordable homes, and good jobs; McKinney is no exception. What makes it stand out is its gem of a downtown. Lovingly restored 19th-century buildings house restaurants, boutiques, and galleries; the 1875 courthouse contains a new performing-arts center.
McKinney's employment opportunities are robust, sparing many residents a rush-hour drive of up to an hour to Dallas. Defense contractor Raytheon has a 3,700-person division here, and a mix of businesses in financial services, medical technology, and eco-friendly manufacturing are moving in.

Though McKinney has grown like mad over the past decade, you'd never suspect it when driving through its tree-filled communities surrounded by ponds, parks, and hiking trails. --Vanessa Richardson

If you know someone who wants to buy or sell in McKinney, call me immediately!

Day 2 of Mega Camp and Sandee's Wedding Ring

2010-09-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

We had 4 more hours at the convention this morning. They focused a lot of the panels on social media and what is making agents successful in this market. I am excited about being in the McKinney market.

We were dismissed from the convention at noon. Sandee and I had already checked out of the hotel, so we jumped in the car and headed straight back. We knew it was going to be a 4 hour drive and we desperately wanted to beat rush hour traffic. On the way home, Sandee realized she lost her wedding ring. She made several calls to the hotel. Unfortunately they did not find it. Sandee took it better than I would have ever taken it. I felt terrible for her. I don't know how you break this news to your husband.

We were able to make it back home and miss all of the traffic. I was grateful to be back home. I am a little tired of being away from my husband!

Mega Camp

2010-09-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a marathon day. I got up at 3:00 am and met one of my fellow Keller Williams agents, Sandee, at the office so we could car pool to Keller Williams Mega Camp. This year we were fortunate that the convention was being held in Austin. The sun didn’t bother to show itself until we were almost there. We quickly went through registration and joined the rest of the people from our office.

It was great to listen to Gary Keller and the ambitious panels of experts. I really needed some advice and ideas on where to get started with my business and how to become successful. The more the day went on, the more I knew I could do this.

We had a little time to check-in to our hotel room and relax before we headed to dinner. Our in-house title company, Hexter-Fair, hosted a dinner for us at a wonderful Southern food restaurant. I enjoyed spending time with the other agents outside of the office. After dinner, most of our office headed straight to 6th street to party. Sandee and I headed straight to the hotel to crash. 3:00 am till 9:30 pm was all we could handle.

Rebecca, Penny Lane and Our House

2010-09-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Rebecca brought Penny Lane back home on Sunday night. She was not happy about the 5.5 hour car ride and made sure she told us all about it. This house did not feel the same without our little baby running around the house.

We had a yard crew come and reshape our landscaping. The front of the house was overpowered by the shrubs and trees. It took them 5 hours to cut down the hedges, reshape the trees and pull up all the weeds. When they finished, our house looked full of life and welcoming.

We decided to have some fun. The 3 of us jumped in the car and went to Sherwin Williams to pick out paint samples. We decided to paint behind some of our art work, so we didn’t have to look at color squares for the next few weeks. It took 2 coats on some of the walls because they are extremely yellow. You can never trust what a paint sample looks like on the card. You have to put the paint on the wall and look at it in day and night lighting. We rearranged the paints a couple of times, but I think we have it figured out. We can’t wait to have a paint crew come out and transform our house on the inside!

Back to McKinney and Mom's Birthday

2010-09-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

I said my last goodbyes as I was checking out of the hotel. John and I loaded all my stuff into the car and drove to the airport. We immediately saw my parents. I gave my mom a big birthday hug!!! They were able to join us for lunch and relax a little bit before our flights. John flew to Houston while my parents, Samantha and her family, Alyssa and her family and I all flew to Dallas. The flight attendant was sweet enough to wish my mom a happy birthday on the PA system. I was sad getting off the plane because I knew I had to say bye to my parents and my sister queens. I HATE saying goodbye to my parents!! I had tears stinging in my eyes as I walked away. The older I get; the more I LOVE my parents!!!

I drove home from the airport to a very empty house. I couldn’t hold still, so I immediately started packing. I was almost completely unpacked before I had to drive back to the airport to pick John up. His flight was running pretty late, so we immediately crawled in bed when we got home. It felt so wonderful to finally exhale and relax! I plan on doing nothing but catching up on emails and sleep for the next two days.

Top 6 at the Mrs. America Finals

2010-09-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the DAY!! Rehearsals ran a little over schedule today. They were working hard on trying to perfect the opening number. Frit and Frat were stressed about the flow of the pageant, but I think they did an awesome job composing the pageant.

Before I knew it, I was in the dressing room counting down the minutes to be on stage. We were all taking pictures in our opening number dresses. These ladies are all unique and have something special to offer as Mrs. America. I don’t envy the judges' job tonight.

The show started with opening number. They gave away a few awards and then we changed into our state costumes. Alyssa won one of the costume awards! She definitely deserved it. It was finally time for the cut of 51 ladies to 12. I couldn’t believe when they called my name first. The rest of the Top 12 were MO, ME, AR, CT, CO, MD, WY, FL, IL, MI and TN. We all went quickly backstage to change in to our new hot pink swimsuits. I didn’t have much time before I was running back to the stage. My adrenaline was through the roof when I went back on stage. It is an amazing rush that I can’t even begin to explain! I worked it as hard as I could in swimsuit. We had more time between swimsuit and evening gown. I took my time and made sure I took care of every last detail. I felt confident walking across stage in my Frankie Couture gown! I felt like I did everything that I could do. Now it is all in the hands of the judges.

They brought the 12 of back on stage for the next cut. I made it into the Top 6!!! I joined IL, CO, CT, MD and WY. The judges could not have picked 6 more different and dynamic ladies. They asked each of us an on-stage question. My question revolved around my platform, Special Olympics. I spoke about my passion for volunteering starting at a very young age thanks to the values my parents instilled in me. I can’t tell you my exact question and answer. I am sure when I watch the video it will come back to me.

We went backstage and waited while they tabulated our scores. The competition was officially over for us! Our destiny was left for the judges to decide. They called the 6 of us back on stage again. My run for the crown came to a sudden end when the Top 3 were called. IL, CT and MD would now vie for the crown. I joined the rest of the ladies backstage. The time had come for them to crown our next Mrs. America. I was a little surprised when they called Mrs. IL first. I really thought she had it in the bag when they called the Top 3. Mrs. MD was first runner-up. The new Mrs. America is Shelley Carbone, Mrs. CT!!

I am definitely disappointed that I didn’t capture the crown tonight, but I am quickly reminded of the caliber of when who surround me. I am really going to miss these ladies when I return home. They are nothing short of amazing!!!

I packed up my competition clothes and headed to meet my family and friends. My parents, John's parents, Earl, Mary, John Morris, Audrey, Armando, Geneva, Elizabeth and her husband, Leigh and her family were all there to support me tonight. John ordered me a pizza and some french fries. I was immediately in heaven!!! We all said our goodbyes. John visited with me while I packed up all my things. When I finally laid in bed, I couldn’t believe it was all over!!

Preliminary Day

2010-09-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Today is preliminary day! We practiced on the stage in the morning. The risers left a lot to be desired, but everything else was great. You could feel the energy in the room. Everyone was definitely ready to get the show started.

My mom’s birthday is Wednesday, so my brother and I decided to surprise my mom with a day at the spa. Cheryl and my friend Mary joined her, while dad relaxed and the rest of the guys played golf.

Tamara and Frankie got me all ready again. John met me at my room and helped me carry all my things down to the dressing room. It is hysterical walking around with the huge yellow roses that go to my state costume!! I arrived in the dressing room really early. It was hard to sit in front of the mirror and not play with my hair and make-up. I do better when I don’t have time to fidget.

We started the show off in our swimsuits and sarongs. This allowed us to go immediately into swimsuit competition. It seemed like it took hours before I had my chance on stage and then in a blink of an eye I was done. We spend all those hours in the gym for those few seconds on stage. The next phase of competition was evening gown. I love seeing everyone’s gowns! It is one of my favorite parts of the pageant. The judges were excused after evening gown. The final part of our night was state costume. My state costume was made by a Mrs. Texas from a few years ago. She allowed Melissa to borrow it last year and I borrowed it this year. It took a lot of stress off me to not have to worry about this part of the pageant.

After the prelims were over, I was able to visit with all of my family and friends. They are so much fun to be with and Earl is always the life of the party!

Day 6 at Mrs. America

2010-09-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

We spent all day today in rehearsals. Each lady had the opportunity to walk the swimsuit and evening gown pattern. We also worked on opening number. They divided us into groups according to our state titles. I was able to convince Frit and Frat to give our group one of the easiest dance steps we learned. I am glad we don’t have to stress about trying to remember the steps!

Mrs. World flew in today. We all had the chance to meet her and shake her hand. She is from Russia and speaks very little English. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be in a foreign country where you can’t understand what people are saying around you.

Mrs. America Interview

2010-09-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the first part of the competition. Tamara Mathews did a phenomenal job on my make-up. I loved being able to sit in a chair and let her work her magic. If you need a great make-up artist, check out her website at http://www.letmemakeyoubeautiful.com/. Frankie Simmons-North did my hair and I loved how soft and natural it looked.

Interviews were 1-on-1. We went in as a group of 5. Mrs. SC, Mrs. SD, Mrs. TN and Mrs. UT were all in my group. I think each one of these ladies is beautiful from the inside out. The interviews were a little more informal than I was expecting. Each judged greeted me with a handshake and a warm hello. Some of the judges wanted to start the interview talking and some of the others let me do my intro. I tried to feel it out as I went along. I think overall I did a good job of showing them my personality.

We finished the night off with rehearsals. My parents and John’s parents arrived today. I was able to chit chat with them after we were done with rehearsal. They were all excited to be there and anxious to hear how my interview went. It felt wonderful to have them all there. I am blessed to have such a supportive and loving family!!!

Day 4 at Mrs. America

2010-09-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

We started the day off sharing our state gifts with all of the ladies. I was amazed by the wonderful gifts the ladies brought to represent their states. My personal favorite was Mrs. Alabama’s. She gave each of us a bible with our state titles on them.

John made it Tucson today. He had an interesting trip out here. We booked his flight before we moved, so he had to fly from Dallas to Houston and then Houston to Tucson. On the last leg of his trip, the pilots were trying to avoid bad weather. They used so much fuel that they had to stop in El Paso to refuel! Let’s just say that he was very happy to be there.

Tonight was the President’s Dinner. It was another great reason to get all dressed up and have fun with all the ladies. We all gave a gift to the President of Loews Hotel. They need two tables to hold all the fabulous gifts from the ladies. I love how generous and sweet our class is!

MENC Fashion Show

2010-09-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Today was all about Music Education. We rehearsed during the day and then got ready for the Fashion Show later that evening. They divided us into two groups. One group was to model an evening gown of their choice and the other group was to model their state costume. I was thrilled to get #1 for evening gown. I really didn’t want to schlep my costume all the way down to the ballroom and back.

The Fashion Show was relaxing and easy. I was done before I could blink an eye. Sam and I helped Alyssa with her costume. She was one hot momma in her Indian headdress. After the show was over, we went out and mingled with all the guests. Tracy and Frankie had made it into town and were able to attend the show. It was great to have them there!

By the end of the evening, we raised over $21,000 for MENC. They are going to use the funds raised to give to Southern Arizona teachers for different projects that they have applied for. This is really an incredible organization to help teachers out!

Day 2 at Mrs. America

2010-09-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

This morning we had to be up, looking fabulous in our swimsuits and out by the pool before sunrise. Most of us were fortunate enough to receive a little time cushion by going back several time zones. While getting up at 5:45 was early, it was really only 7:45 back home.

We had a wonderful breakfast and then headed straight for rehearsal. Frit and Frat were the perfect people to choreograph the show. They were full of life and happiness! We learned some basic steps and just enjoyed moving around and having fun.

In the afternoon, we went to an event off property. St. John’s had the red carpet rolled out for us and welcomed us with a glass of champagne. We spent the next 3 hours walking around the outdoor shopping center. We found a great deal on some adorable rompers at BCBG. We had to have them!!!

We had dinner at El Charro’s. It was great to sit at big tables and chit chat with all the ladies. Everyone has great stories about why they are at Mrs. America. This is a very dynamic group. I don’t know how the judges are going to select our new Mrs. America.

Tucson Bound

2010-08-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

It is time to put all my hours of preparation to work! I had a relaxing morning getting ready. John loaded all my bags into the car and dropped me off at the airport. I can’t even begin to tell you how nice it is to only drive 35 minutes to the airport, instead of 2 hours! Alyssa, Mrs. Oklahoma was already waiting at the gate when I arrived. Samantha, Mrs. Kansas, joined us a little while later. We all 3 feel very fortunate to have Tracy as our director. Mrs. Ohio was also on our flight. The flight crew was very sweet to all of us and they even wished us luck over the PA system.

We were in a little bit of predicament when we tried to fit all or our luggage, 4 titleholders and Mrs. Ohio’s travel companion in the minivan. Alyssa and I pretty much sat on each other’s laps for the 45 minute drive from the airport to the hotel.

We stepped out of the van and were immediately grabbed by the photographer for pictures. This is why they tell you to always be ready! When we went to check in to our rooms, they had us on opposite sides of the hotel. We were supposed to have adjoining rooms. It took some time for them to rearrange us, but it was well worth the wait to be next to Alyssa and Sam. We checked in with the Mrs. America staff and received our sashes, competition swimsuits, opening number dresses and shoes.

Audrey, who was Miss AZ when I was Miss DC, and her mom brought me a steamer later in the afternoon. We had free time, so I was able to join them for a bite to eat. The 3 of us are all business partners with Rodan + Fields Dermatology, the Doctors of ProActiv. If you are looking for a way to Change your skin and Change your life, check out my websites; for products http://www.blogger.com/www.spatterson.myrandf.com and for business opportunities http://www.blogger.com/www.spatterson.myrandf.biz.

We attended an orientation dinner where we had our first chance to meet all of the ladies. Everyone was full of energy and all dressed up. We had a chance to introduce ourselves and meet everyone on the Mrs. America Board. You could feel the excitement in the room. I am very impressed by how composed and beautiful all the ladies are! After dinner, we headed straight back to the room. We have an early wakeup call in the morning.

Packing for Mrs. America

2010-08-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am finally packing for Mrs. America. I shipped my state costume, the Yellow Rose of Texas, and state gifts earlier this week. I was hoping to send some of my wardrobe also, but it just didn’t happen. I think the biggest part of the room in my suitcases is being taken up by shoes. Every pageant girl knows that you can’t take 3 pairs of shoes to the pageant. I think I am taking 3 different pairs just for stage.

After a lot of thought and careful consideration, it looks like I will be able to fit everything into 2 suitcases that will not be overweight. I am carrying my competition gown and interview outfit on the airplane. I have never lost my luggage, but I didn’t want to chance it and have a first. I feel like I have everything together. If I forget something, I know that I can have John bring it out with him.

I have to say that practice does make things a lot less stressful. This round of packing was much easier then when I packed for Miss America.

The Lash Lounge

2010-08-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Lash Lounge is one of the awesome sponsors for Mrs. Texas. The owner, Anna Phillips, sponsors Mrs. Texas with a full set of lash extensions and a fill. This was the perfect thing to have for Mrs. America. I made my appointment and went to the Lash Lounge in Plano. I have never had eyelash extensions before, so I had no idea what to expect. The store is beautiful! In less than an hour, I walked out with an incredible set of long, luscious set of lashes! I am really looking forward to not having to glue fake lashes on my eyelids at Mrs. America.

I highly recommend visiting the Lash Lounge. They have 3 locations in the DFW area. Check out their website, http://www.thelashlounge.com/.

MLS Training

2010-08-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I am at the Collin County Association for Realtors today for 4 hours. They are teaching us how to use our local MLS. This was the last piece to the puzzle that I need to finish to be an official real estate agent. I can’t wait to start listing houses!! This is going to be an awesome career for me.

Premier Hair Studio

2010-08-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

I am starting the final stages of my Mrs. America prep work. Today is hair day!!! One of my fabulous girlfriends helped me find a great hair studio here in McKinney. Sandi Ortiz at Premier Hair Studio was kind enough to squeeze me into her extremely busy schedule. Sandi not only fit me into her schedule, she blocked out 3 hours to make sure my hair was perfect. I am so thrilled with how my hair turned out that Sandi has a new regular client. I cannot thank Sandi enough!!!

If you are looking for a great hair stylist in McKinney, please check out Premier Hair Studio. They are located at 6150 W Eldorado Pkwy Ste 200, McKinney, TX 75070 and their phone number is (972) 540-0085.

Pilates Reformer

2010-08-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

John and I joined Lifetime Fitness Center in Allen. It is nothing short of amazing. I don't know how you could get bored at this gym. I took my first Pilates Reformer class tonight. I have done Pilates mat work for many years, but I have never used a reformer machine. It kicked my butt. It has been a while since I left a workout and felt absolutely exhausted!!! It makes me want one of these in my new workout room upstairs :-)

Orange House Closing

2010-08-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

We had to drive back down to Orange last night. We closed on our Orange house today. It was surreal to sign the closing papers at the title company. We are in awe of how fast we were able to move and sell our house. God definitely has a plan for us!

North Texas State Fair Parade

2010-08-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

I had a great time in the North Texas State Fair Parade this morning. Sonya Apple, one of my beautiful Mrs. Texas competitors, invited me over to take part in the event. Her husband, Matt, was our driver. Bill Utter Ford was kind enough to donate the white Mustang for us to ride on. The people in Denton are wonderful. We loved the Sonic girls behind us who shared some of their candy with us. It was a great way to spend the morning!

Dr. Nancy Weise

2010-08-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am sad to see my mom go today. I can’t even explain what a help she was to John and me. There is not one box left in our house that needs to be unpacked. There is no way you can tell that we moved in 6 days ago. I am extremely impressed with the work we have done!!!

I was invited to a wonderful event tonight by a former Mrs. Texas contestant, Kathy Hatfield. Red Oak Drug and the Grand Spa in Dallas hosted Dr. Nancy Weise. She spoke on the connection between health and hormones. Dr. Weise is an incredible speaker who was able to break down the technical side of hormones to a basic level for everyone to relate to. Kathy did a fabulous job coordinating the event.

1st Day of Training

2010-08-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

I started my first official day of training at Keller Williams McKinney today. It is giving me a real feel of our new life. I absolutely love my office!!! The people here are incredible, welcoming and full of energy. It feels like I have been here for months already. The training sessions are perfect. They keep them short, sweet and to the point. They also alternate instructors so you get a feel of many different styles and personalities. I feel very blessed to be a part of this office.

My Big Helper

2010-08-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

My mom was sweet enough to fly all the way from Florida to help us unpack. She came in on Saturday and went straight to work. We started on the tall stack of boxes in our living room. By the end of the night, we could see across our house without boxes blocking the view. We tackled a room at a time. My mom is full of energy and extremely organized. You could see immediate results with each room we worked on. Penny Lane had to be right in the middle of everything. She is going to be a lonely cat when grandma goes back home!

Moving

2010-08-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday they finished loading the last of the boxes on the truck. By 1:00, the movers headed out to our new house and John and I ran around town trying to tie up some loose ends. Both of our cars were packed to the roof! Our last stop in town was to pick up Penny Lane. She was embarking on her first road trip since we picked her up from the breeder. She was definitely not excited about being locked up in her kennel, but handled the drive pretty well.

We got to the house and unpacked the cars and set up our cots for the night. We gave Penny Lane a tour of her new home. She was more adventurous than we expected her to be. It didn’t take much for us both to pass out. The drive back and forth to Orange has worn us both out.

The movers were knocking on the door by 8:30. They were ready to get that truck unloaded! Before we could blink an eye it was 8:00 at night. Everyone was exhausted and the last few boxes had made it in the house. We thanked the movers for all their hard work. When the door shut, it finally started to sink in that we were in our new house! What a week!!!

Closing on Our House in McKinney

2010-08-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

We are the proud new owners of our house in McKinney. We drove up last night and stayed in Dallas. I got early this morning to hit the gym for some much needed stress relief. By noon, we were sitting at the title company ready to sign away. It was the most painless, easy closing ever. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes. We headed straight to my office to pick up the keys to our new house. The ladies at the office could not have been happier for us. I really feel like this is going to be an awesome office to work at.

It was a weird feeling walking into our new house. It was completely empty and ready for a new family. After we unloaded some boxes, we walked from room-to-room. It took everything we had to get back in the car and head back to Orange.

Packing

2010-08-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

Packing has officially started. They arrived first thing this morning and got to work. We were amazed at how quickly they were able to pack everything up. Reality was definitely setting in that this was happening!

Red Cross of Orange

2010-08-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today is the Red Cross’s Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser. The coordinator for the even allowed me to take over one of their beverage tents out on the golf course. I asked some of my ladies from my fitness class and my family if they would give up their Saturday morning to help me out. They were sweet enough to say yes.

The Red Cross is especially dear to our community because of their relief efforts after Hurricane Ike. They offered 3 meals a day, water and much needed supplies to the community. These families were struggling with their houses going under several feet of water and losing almost everything they owned. In return, this was one of the most successful fundraisers they have had and I was honored to be a part of it. My husband even had a chance to fill-in for a friend last minute.

TV Commercial

2010-08-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

I shot my first TV commercial today. We went over to the TV station in Beaumont. I haven’t been on a new set since I was in LA for Miss America. They put me in front of a green screen with some serious lights. I ran through the 30 second script a few times. We all felt comfortable with the flow, so we started filming. After 3 takes, they said they had it! It was fast, easy and a lot of fun. I am a little nervous to see the finished product! Maybe this is the start of a new part-time career. LOL

Last Day of Class

2010-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day of class with all my ladies. It has been a great journey with all of these ladies and I am truly sad to say goodbye. They have allowed me to become part of their lives. I know my mornings will not be half as special without seeing all of their smiling faces!

They surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a card signed by everyone and a gift card. I will treasure that card and pull it out anytime I am having a rough day. I exchanged emails with the ladies and I plan to keep in touch with them.

Jenny’s Baby Shower

2010-07-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating the wonderful blessing of twins to the Bradley family. Jenny and Jeff will be our neighbors in a few weeks when we move to McKinney. There family is going to grow by two this winter with precious little girls! I was trying to get Jenny to rub some of her twin luck on me!

Pappa’s Birthday

2010-07-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today is Pappa’s birthday! He is supposed to officially go into semi-retirement. This will be his second retirement and one that is extremely well deserved!! Happy Birthday Pappa!

Pageant Boot Camp

2010-07-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Alvin and Rich were sweetest enough to host Alyssa, Tracy and me at their house for the weekend. We immediately went to work with mock interviews. We practiced one-on-one and panel style. The questions and feedback were awesome. It was definitely the prep work that I needed. One of our mock interview judges asked Alyssa and I to take a picture of his Mustang that he has personally been restoring. He has been doing an amazing job.

We spent the rest of the night chatting and trying on clothes from Alberto Makali. He is a sponsor for Mrs. KS, Mrs. OK and Mrs. TX. I am wearing one of his fabulous creations for our Mrs. America Fashion Show.

http://www.albertomakali.com/

Kiwanis

2010-07-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

I was invited to be the guest speaker at Kiwanis by Rebecca. I had to teach class in the morning. Then, I ran home to shower and spruce up for the meeting. We had a great turnout, including some of my family who came to support me.

Kiwanis’ mission focuses on volunteerism and scholarship. Two things that are extremely important to me. I spoke about the positive role pageants have had on my life and the importance of volunteering in your community. I wrapped up my time answering questions, taking pictures and signing autograph cards. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

Princess in the making!

2010-07-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

One of my autograph cards is hanging up at the gym. It is a little weird to see my picture every morning, but the members absolutely love it. Corrin, one of the ladies who takes my class, said her little girl, MaKayla, was looking at the picture and commenting on my crown. I told Corrin I would bring the crown in today to let MaKayla try it on. Corrin said MaKayla woke up early this morning and had her brother help her make breakfast for their mom in bed! I think she was a little excited.

MaKayla came bouncing in the classroom as soon as we finished up with class. She could not wait to see the crown. I don’t think she moved a muscle while I placed the crown and sash on her. She is such a beautiful little girl! I can definitely see her competing in pageants down the road. Corrin was a former Miss Beaumont, so it is definitely in MaKayla’s blood.

Inspection Time

2010-07-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

We are headed back up to McKinney again last night. John and I both had work and errands all day, so we didn’t hit the road until after 6:30 pm. It was a long drive up last night, but we made it safely.

We met the inspector early this morning. We walked around the house trying to adjust to the fact that this will be our home in a few weeks. We look like to little kids in a candy store.

The inspection went quite well. There are a few little things, but that is to be expected with a resale. We stopped by Lane and Tammy’s house to say hello. I love that we are going to live right around the corner from them. Lane is a great business partner for John.

I left John for a little bit and headed to my office. Matt helped me fill out my first green form. Green represents money!! It was awesome to see how much money I was going to make off of my first sale! I think I might like this real estate job! Lol

We made it back to our house in Orange once again. We were gone a total of 26 hours and 11 of it was driving.

Drake Turrentine

2010-07-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today is a sad day for Special Olympics and me. I lost a former boss and great friend. Drake Turrentine was the General Counsel for Special Olympics and the Secretary to the Board of Directors. He opened the door to my career at Special Olympics. He was a great mentor and friend to me since the very first day I walked through those doors. He was like a proud father when I came back from competing at Miss America. Drake touched the lives of millions of people through the Special Olympics movement. He made a difference in the world and will be greatly missed!

This is a picture of Drake and me at my send-off for Miss America.

Earl

2010-07-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Every contestant for Mrs. America is required to sell one ad page. My great friend Earl has come to my aid again. Earl’s company, Cardinal Technologies, is my official sponsor.

Not only has Earl helped support me in my pageant adventures financially, he has also been a dear friend in many other ways. He ran 12 miles of the Marine Corps Marathon with me, flew out to Las Vegas to support me at Miss America, attended my wedding and is going to be attending Mrs. America with his girlfriend Mary (who I absolutely adore).

Tracy helped design my ad page for me. I think it turned out fabulous!

Meara’s Birthday Party

2010-07-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

I somehow pushed myself through my two classes today and headed straight home for Meara’s birthday party. She loves to have theme parties. This year she decided to have a workout theme. This definitely helped Uncle John and me out since we were both coming straight from work.

After dinner we went to the back yard to let the games begin. We are a competitive family, so it doesn’t take much for everyone to get involved. We started with the long jump. This was the one event I didn’t even try. With all these men in the family over 6’5”, there was no way anyone stood a chance against John and Stephen. Rebecca kicked butt in the egg race and all my hours of Wii Fit helped me win the hula hoop. The 3-legged race was nothing short of hysterical!!! We finished with the bubble gum race. Meara loves her some gum, so it was the perfect way to finish off the evening.

I can’t believe how big Meara and Mack are getting!!! They are both growing up so fast! This photo was taken the night I won Mrs. Texas :-)

Packing

2010-07-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

Now that we are officially moving, I need to start the packing process. I picked up some boxes and several rolls of tape. I know these next few weeks are going to fly by. The more I can get done now, the easier these next few weeks will be on us. This is bringing back old memories very quickly!

Orientation and House

2010-07-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Our hotel room was freezing cold this morning. We tried to turn it up and off, but nothing made it stop running. It stayed on 64 degrees! It is not easy to get out of bed in a dark, cold hotel room. I am jealous that John gets to sleep in.

I had to drive by the office and drop off my computer before I went to orientation. I was pleasantly surprised with the effort the CCAR puts into their orientation. We did introductions with some of the vendors there and then an educational officer spoke for thirty minutes. The city of Plano employees him and his partner to spend each day providing education on how citizens can stay safe and prevent crime. He was an entertaining speaker with a hysterical sense of humor. I will definitely find a way to attend some of his seminars! The rest of the time went by pretty quickly. I left with a new certificate and a shiny pin.

John was already sitting in the lobby of the hotel when I got there. Poor thing was so cold in the hotel room that he checked out early. We headed back to the office to pick up my computer and make a counteroffer on our house. Matt had us fill out to front pages to the contract trying to predict whether they would accept our counteroffer or not.

We got back in the car and started heading back to Orange. We had stopped at Buc-ees to get gas and use some of the cleanest restrooms in Texas (this is what they are known for) when I received a call from Matt. The sellers had accepted our counteroffer. We have a house!!!!

CCAR

2010-07-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

I made it through an extremely busy week. I would love to lay in bed today and let my body catch up, but instead we are on the road again. We are headed back to McKinney. I have to join the Collin County Association of Realtors before I can become an official realtor. The only time new agents can join is Monday through Thursday at 10:00 or 3:00. Yes, you have to be there exactly at one of those times. How do I know that? Because John and I showed up at 2:00 and they said that I would have to wait until 3:00. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then I dropped John off at the hotel.

It took about an hour to get our group of three all set up. I felt like I was writing check after check. Then I found out that I have to go through their orientation and a MLS class. They really make sure you want to be a real estate agent before they let you in! LOL I signed up for orientation tomorrow morning :-)

4th of July

2010-07-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

John and I made our way back to Orange for the holiday weekend. Rebecca and I planned a wonderful 4th of July dinner for the 3 of us. Barbecued chicken and corn on the cob were a must. I think at some point we forgot how many people we were cooking for!

We had a fabulous time storytelling and enjoying each other’s company.

Interview

2010-07-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

It is interview day. I had to cancel my class this morning so we could get up to McKinney in time for my interview. It is a five and half hour drive one-way! John drove us up there so I could try and focus during the drive.

We made it to the hotel. John crawled in bed while I got dressed for my interview. That just didn’t seem fair!! I made my way to the Keller Williams office. It is located in the castle at the Croatian village. I think this is meant to be. Shouldn’t a queen work out of a castle?

Matt met me immediately and we went upstairs for my interview. I loved the questions he was asking. We talked a lot about community involvement and volunteering. We touched on my goals and ambitions. He talked about the training, coaching and support they provide to each agent. I was hooked and ready to start immediately! He gave me a tour of the office and then I started filling out my paperwork to get started. Within an hour and a half, I had a job! As I finished up all my paperwork, Matt asked me if there was anything else I wanted to do. I replied back, “Yes, I need to buy a house!” The look on his face was priceless. If he had any doubt whether I was serious about moving, my response sealed the deal. We scheduled an appointment a few hours later so John could join us also.

I left my new office on cloud nine. I could truly see God’s work in action! I picked up John and we went to a little wine bar around the corner from my office to have a celebration drink. Then we had another drink of liquid courage so we could go make an offer on the house. Matt met us at the house first so we could walk around it one more time. Yep, there was no doubt that we still wanted it. We all headed back to the office and Matt helped me fill out the contract on the house. I wonder how many new agents fill out a house contract within hours of starting.

John and I headed back to the hotel with our heads spinning. We had a ton of questions and uncertainty, but no way to answer any of those questions. We will just have to wait and see what God has in store for us next.

Phone Call

2010-06-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

I received a call this morning from the head broker at Keller Williams McKinney. Ironically his name is Matt, just like my middle brother. He wanted to set up an interview with me this week!!! The earliest we could both work into our schedule was Thursday afternoon. I will have to cancel one of my classes this week, but I will still be able to get five of my classes in and all my clients. It looks like we will be heading back up there this weekend.

Now, I have to attack this dusty house and the laundry.

Business and Pleasure

2010-06-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe how much we just packed into one weekend. We saw some great locations for John’s baseball academy. We worked on designs until we couldn’t hold our eyes open any longer. The next morning immediately started off with meetings and number crunching at Lane's house. We worked as hard and as long as we could until our minds could not do anymore.

We took a little break to go look at some houses we had been viewing online. An agent named Cheryl came to meet us at the house. We immediately fell in love with the house. It had everything we were looking for and more. Cheryl was very interested in our backgrounds and somehow we got on the topic of me having my real estate license. She immediately started pitching Keller Williams to me and that I should join her agency when we move. It was definitely a huge possibility since they are the number one agency in McKinney.

We went back by Lane's house so I could work on a project with his youngest son, Ty. Ty is going into kindergarden this fall and Tammy was concerned about him learning his A,B,C's, colors, shapes and numbers. I had picked up some supplies earlier that morning so Ty and I could put together a little game to help learn a little faster. Ty is one smart little boy. Tammy doesn't have anything to worry about.

We went back to our hotel for about an hour. I started working on my Mrs. America paperwork while John passed out. We met Faith and her husband, Cameron, for dinner. Faith and I became good friends at the pageant. We had a fun dinner together. Before we knew it, five hours had flown by. It was great to see her again and meet her other half!

On the road again

2010-06-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

We almost had our suitcases unpacked and now we are repacking them. We are headed up to McKinney for the weekend. John has some business meetings for his future baseball academy. We are going to look at possible locations and sit down and do some serious number crunching.

It was a different feeling driving by Corsicana this time. My how one place can change your life so much!